The Mace, The Mob And legislative mess By Henry Eguridu

Precedents are like domino effects,
chain reactions that occur due to
changes which causes a spiral and so
on in linear sequence. “A
dangerous precedent is being set in
this country” cried Chief Obafemi
Awolowo as he fought back attempts
by the Balewa Administration to
impose a state of emergency in
Nigeria’s western region in 1965.
While those pleas fell on deaf ears,
because there was a predetermined
attempt to deal with perceived
enemies, the crisis had set off a
series of precedents.
The first of it was mace
snatching .That modern and very bad
precedent of mace stealing and head
battery in Nigeria started in the
Western regional assembly and Mr.
Ebubedike representing Badagry East
has the “honour” of being the first
Nigerian to seize a mace, the
instrument of authority of the House
and using it as a head battering
weapon when fighting between the
members broke out. Chairs were
thrown and he grabbed the
parliamentary Mace and wielded it like
a weapon to attack the Speaker and
other members. The weapon of head
destruction was thus born.
We have gone on to witness how
“honourable” members have replicated
this act with some sophistication and
brazenness. Who can forget that
hilarious yet shameful act by Late Dr.
Chuba Okadigbo, that chain smoking
Senate President who raced to
Ogbunike- his hometown, to hide the
mace of the Senate, in a bid to stall
his impeachment? The Oyi of Oyi even
boasted that he kept the mace in
custody of a seven foot python. These
are the kinds that populate the
legislative chambers.
The second part of this was the
introduction of the mob as weapon of
intimidation and buccaneering.
The circus taking place in Rivers State
is text book copy of what was done in
1965. First, find a pretext to remove
the Governor by fomenting trouble or
create a sense of destabilization. And
this is done using proxies since the
Oga at the top is not in a position to
take on directly his perceived enemies.
In understanding these types of
crisis, this African proverb becomes
very apt “when you see a man dancing
in the village square alone, know that
the drummer is not far off” this is an
indication of the external forces in
these macabre dances.
Impunity has become second nature in
our political processes. Obasanjo laid a
firm foundation for these excesses in
the eight years he bestrode the
nation, by harassing, haranguing and
hassling political opponents using the
most ridiculous of pretexts and
pedestrian tactics he showed that he
could have his way whether we liked it
or not. The use of the mob to
devastating consequences to
intimidate legislators or opponents was
a well worn tactic. We remember how
Adedibu impeached a sitting governor
using the power of the mob, it is not
therefore surprising that these
methods have been ingrained in our
national fabric. But precedents also
create a mess.
A local government Chairman
disagrees or is seen to be rebellious to
the Governor, the Governor quickly
sends him packing through the threat
of force or subtle innuendos
depending on the characters that
surround him or a deputy is perceived
disloyal, the treatment of that fellow
could be quite unpalatable. Again we
saw how Tinubu dispatched two
disloyal deputies. They brook no
nonsense. But when a Governor does
that to the President, the
consequences and repercussions are
usually grave.
The state is destabilized, it becomes
the rule of the jungle where
lawlessness becomes order and order
lawlessness. The mobs rule supreme,
the godfathers hold everyone to
ransom. Government activities are
crippled and everyone is
apprehensive. It is utterly divisive
and distracting.
The legislature is usually the vehicle in
destabilizing a Governor. It is the
means external forces hostile to him
use in rattling him.
Our legislators rarely cover themselves
in glory. Their behavior and
performances have usually been
abysmal and the executive arm of
government has contributed to the
subservient nature of the legislature.
In every state, the Governors have
been heavily involved in choosing or
imposing their loyalists in the top
echelon of the State assemblies. This
is to forestall impeachment of the
Governor or to make life difficult for
him. Most state houses of assembly
are merely rubber stamp bodies doing
the bidding of their Governors. To
take out a sitting Governor, you will
need to dislodge his loyalists like the
speaker or majority leader and this
usually happens at the behest of
political godfathers. That is the exact
scenario been played out in Rivers
State.
We draw no inspiration from our
legislators. A cursory visit to any
State or Federal legislature when they
are in session, begs the question.
Watching their debates on national
television is an eye sore as you are
astounded at the level and quality of
their debates, it becomes abundantly
clear that there was no preparation
for those debates, as they are so
pedestrian; one begins to wonder if
they are comedians or legislators.
They are about the highest paid in the
world, but they also about the
dumbest and most self-interested,
corrupt and irresponsible whose focus
is more on primitive accumulation
rather than legislating for change.
Like barnacles, they have become
parasitic on the national well being.
They obviously don’t know that
Leadership is a privilege with great
responsibility not a responsibility with
great privilege.
Can anyone point to any ground
breaking law any of them has passed.
Instead of hedging corruption or
being an agent of good governance,
they spend much of their legislative
time haranguing about how to raise
their own salaries and allowances, and
how to share unspent budget. Rather
than come determined to devote their
tenures to fighting for a cause, they
come determined to fight for their
pockets. This is very unfortunate,
given the accountability and oversight
functions of the legislature. They are
empowered by the constitution to
represent the interest of the public in
their oversight, law-making,
appropriation and confirmation
functions, but they have completely
abandoned their duties.
They have mastered the skill of using
the mace as a weapon of choice to
teach their colleagues a lesson in
parliamentary civility and protocol.
They are world champions in causing
the mace which is the symbol of
authority to disappear, thereby
incapacitating the House to be called
to order, when it serves their interest
s.
The legislators have proven to be
largely unreliable representatives of
the people. Each time there is a
major conflict in the legislature, the
issue is more likely to relate to
personal allowances or perks of office
rather than issues that touch on the
improvement of the welfare of the
people.
They have abandoned the many knotty
issues that stare us in the face as a
nation- frightening insecurity,
decadent educational system,
electoral and power sector reforms.
But they are proactive only when it
comes to matters affecting their
welfare such as upward review of
their allowances.
The original purpose of the mace was
for warfare; a practical weapon
intended to protect figures of
authority or sovereign’s .That was its
original purpose.
It is fitting that our legislators have
gone back to the original purpose in
using it to cudgel themselves and
break their coconut heads. Since
nothing good can come out of those
heads, let them break it. But more
importantly, the orchestration of
these fights will not benefit the
Nigerian citizen. It will be better if
they could channel these same
energies they use in these mob actions
to address the mess that affect the
state.
Let’s stay engaged @oheguridu